Reading For Stress Relief
Having a reading habit, has brought a lot of benefits for my health.
I feel calmer and more grounded, and it gives me a great reset to be able to tackle the rest of my day. I get to be fully present. If I wander off the story and think about something else, I go back to rereading, so it has helped with my focus. It has helped me be a little less on my phone, less scrolling or watching something meaningless. There are studies that show reading as a useful tool for lowering stress.
If you’ve been wanting to read more, I have some tips that have helped me to read pressure-free and enjoy the journey.
1. There is no pressure to finish a book you don’t like. If you start off reading a book that didn’t end up being what you wanted or expected and you don’t want to finish it, you have permission to put it down and read something else! Time is one our most valuable resources. Whatever you spend your time on, let it be on something you enjoy! Plus, we aren’t in school trying to write a book report at the end! This is reading for your enjoyment and you get to set your OWN rules.
2. Do not compare to anyone else’s reading goal. Although it’s admirable I have friends that read 100+ books a year, that is not me. I am still a well-read person and I will read at my pace and enjoy the ride. No need to compare. We are not in competition with each other.
3. Set some time to read that can be doable. For a while it was a short 20-30 minute break at 5p.m. I would brew some tea, and read. It was totally blissful to have this routine, and something I could keep up. I have also found some pockets of time in the evening, when the food is heating up on the stove, or I am waiting for food to come out of the oven. I bring my Kindle with me when I am waiting in the car or in a waiting room. And most of all, when I find myself picking up the phone again to want to scroll aimlessly and waste more time, I remember I have a fabulous book waiting for me. I have read in bed before bed but that usually makes me get sleepy, so I find other moments to read where I can pay attention.
4. Reading is like exercising a muscle. I really do believe that the more you read, the better you get at reading and finishing articles or books quicker. You start to create new neuropathways and you get better at it. As with everything else, it takes practice! Keep practicing, even if it’s for small increments of time, at your own pace you feel comfortable. What if it takes you a month or two to finish a book? There is no judgment! I still have books that take me a month to finish. Who cares? There is no one breathing down your neck like when we were in school! We get to choose our pace and there is a lot of freedom in reading because you choose to, not because you have to do it.
5. Read what you know you will enjoy. Pick a genre where you know you will want to keep reading. I wanted to read fiction, so I started following some of the book-club suggestions, and some recommendations from friends. Goodreads has their picks, and also Amazon has their editor’s picks, and book clubs such as Reese’s book club, Oprah’s book club, and Reading with Jenna, Good Morning America, The New York Times list. Checking out books from the library is also a risk-free way to read!
6. Track your reading for fun. Goodreads has a tracker and so does Storygraph.com I love using Storygraph stress-free to track my books and to have a To-Be-Read pile on the platform. Even a pen and paper for tracking how many books you’ve read works!
7. Join a book club or start one. A book club will automatically get you reading at least a book a month, and that is also a great way to start. You also get community and connection, which is also wonderful for your health and hormones.
